


And All We Fall Down

by CJMartinnn, meowitskatmofo



Series: OGNY: On The Verge [8]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Drugs, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-16 06:12:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10565283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJMartinnn/pseuds/CJMartinnn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowitskatmofo/pseuds/meowitskatmofo
Summary: After having a big fight with Ivy, Reed sneaks over to be with Elijah for the night. Edward finally learns about the relationship between Reed and Elijah and all hell breaks loose.





	1. Pockets Full of Rolls

The basement of the apartment complex where Reed and Ivy lived was a very special place for them. At one time, it had been a laundry facility, but had long ago fallen into disrepair and forgotten. When they were still small children, it was one of their favorite places to explore. It had been turned into a storage facility for the apartment and over the years had become packed full of junk. There were several old machines and dryers left behind, shelves and dozens of boxes to snoop through, all matters of hiding spots and nooks and crannies to explore. It was how they had found the door, playing down there together. 

It was behind a large stacker unit that Reed had been determined to tip over. He had ultimately failed, only managing to move it a few inches, but it was enough the reveal the door. They had no problem picking the lock and behind it, they discovered a small office. There were little windows peeking out at the street and some shabby furniture. All it took was one look and it instantly became their secret clubhouse. When they were older, it was where Ivy had the idea to slap a new lock on the door and to start growing. 

They never needed special lights or to invest much more care than any other houseplant to make their marijuana grow. Their plants grew faster, fuller, and harvested often. What could take others half a year, they could do in a few weeks. Reed had been cutting back on the number of his plants, letting a few die off here and there. He only had about six now, more than enough for his own personal use. He knew Ivy had to have noticed, but she hadn't said anything yet. 

Ever since the school year had begun, he was determined to get out of the business. Especially now since he and Elijah were talking about going away to college together, he was determined to have a good future. Getting busted for selling weed was too much of a risk. He still wanted to smoke, of course, weed being the only thing that ever seemed to keep him calm. But actually trying to hustle, to sell it? He had to stop; and so did Ivy. 

He had already collected his crop for the month, trimming the buds up with a little pair of scissors. He was careful, meticulous, taking his time. He knew Ivy hadn't been here yet, her plants still waiting for attention. He had tried to message her, hoping she'd arrive soon. He sighed, tending to the last few buds and started hanging them all up to dry on a clothesline they'd set up. He was tying up the last bud when he heard the sound of someone shuffling around behind the door. He tensed, calling out, "Twinkie! That you?" 

Ever since she had met Harley, Ivy was spending less and less time at home. Aside from a few nights here and there that she made it in time for dinner and the couple classes they had together at school, Ivy and Reed had barely spent much time together. It didn't help that her baby brother was all tied up in his little boy toy, too. When Reed had sent her a text after school asking her to meet him down in the basement, she couldn't say no, having missed seeing that big dopey smile of his so much. 

From the moment they had been taken in by Dad and Pops, the basement had been their own little hiding place. They had spent countless hours down there, exploring, playing and eventually growing their own special little crop. They had both been incredibly gifted with plants for as long as she could remember. It seemed so natural for them to make their own unique strain of weed and it was a great way to make some extra cash. Of course, it had been Ivy's idea and it took some coaxing, but it didn't take much at all for her to finally convince her sweet baby brother to join in. 

She had finally managed to peel herself away from Harley, which took a little longer than she had planned. The two of them had been attached at the hip since they had started dating and she loved every moment they spent together. She made a quick stop upstairs to their apartment to change out of her jeans and tight little crop top into some much more comfortable loose fitting pajama pants and a tank top, snagging one of Reed's big comfy hoodies on her way downstairs. She figured they would be down there for a little while. 

When she made it into the basement, moved a few boxes from in front of the door, laughing when she heard her twin call out nervously. "No, it's someone else even though you wanted to meet here," she answered sarcastically as she opened the door and made her way in, grinning at Reed. 

Reed stuck out his tongue at her, rolling his eyes. "I just wanted to check, you know? Can't be too careful and all that shit." He made a face seeing she had taken one of his hoodies. Between her and Elijah, Reed swore he wouldn't have any damn clothes left. 

She pulled a hair tie from her wrist, pulling her long red hair up into a messy little bun before hoisting herself up onto the table by her brother, tugging one of her plants over and trimming some of the buds. She took one look at Reed, immediately sensing something was off. She cocked her head to the side a bit, her brow furrowed as she began to worry. "Everything okay, Sparky?" she questioned, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder. 

He flinched a little at his twin's touch, his nerves getting the better of him already. Like a band-aid, right? Just go ahead and get it over with, he told himself. He knew Ivy could feel how anxious he was. They could never hide anything from each other, not for long. "No, not really..." 

Reed grimaced, taking a few steps away from her. She had scissors in her hand and he wanted to make sure he was out of reach, just in case. He let out a deep breath he'd been holding, groaning, "Look. I've been trying to tell you for like, weeks. But you've been so busy with Harley and I've been with Elijah, and there just hasn't been time to talk. But you see, I was thinking about this even before I met him, so don't you dare try to make this about him, I just. I've just been thinking about the future more and what I want to do and..." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to pull himself together. Fuck, she was gonna be mad as hell.

Ivy raised an eyebrow, listening to him ramble frantically. That was never a good sign. She listened as he went on and on, eventually setting the scissors down and folding her arms over her chest. God, he could never just say what he wanted to say without babbling forever. She eventually started to get annoyed, shaking her head. "Just spit it the fuck out already, Reed." 

Reed bit his lip, shaking his head as he tried to man up. Ivy was always the brave one, the tough one, and definitely the smart one. All of this had been her idea after all. Reed knew he would have to be a little brave now, his voice surprisingly steady as he said, "I'm done. I don't wanna sell dope any more. I mean, I still wanna grow and I'll smoke whatever I grow, but just for me. I want out, Ivy. I'm sorry." 

Boy, oh, boy, was he right to assume she was going to be pissed. She scoffed, rolling her eyes and shaking his head, her temper immediately getting the better of her. "Bullshit it's not about you're fucking boyfriend," she replied with a bitter little laugh. Ivy may have been just a little hurt, though she would never admit it. This was the one thing they still really did together, spending time down in that basement. 

"It's not about Elijah!" Reed snapped back. "Are you even fucking listening to anything I'm saying?" 

Ivy had known in the back of her mind this was coming, more and more of Reed's friends had been coming to her lately. She had sort of been hoping he was a little too caught up with Elijah and was taking a break since he had been in trouble so much lately. She hopped down from the table, looking up at Reed and poking him hard in the chest, her eyes narrowed. "So, you wanna keep growing, which will get you in about just as much trouble if someone ever finds this room and figures out it's us? Especially if it were Pops or Dad who figured it out! Because that makes fucking sense. God, you are so _stupid_ sometimes," she spat, too mad to have much of a filter. 

Reed growled at the little poke, keeping his arms crossed over his chest. He was getting angry and he didn't want to hurt his sister more than he already had. He tucked his hands up into his armpits, just to make sure he wouldn't lash out at her accidentally. He tried to keep distance between them, but Ivy wouldn't get out of his face. 

"I am not fucking stupid!" Reed barked. Ivy knew how much being called that hurt him and it made his blood boil. "I am trying to be good, I am trying to think about my life and have a fucking future! I wanna go to school, Ivy! You really think we're not gonna get caught if we keep going? Especially with as much as we sell?" His voice turned pleading, saying, "At least if it's down here and not in my fucking backpack, no one can say it's us! Not for sure! They can't prove shit!" 

Ivy felt a quick pang of guilt at the pleading in Reed's voice, but she was too angry and hurt to care. She understood Reed's temper all too well, it was certainly something they had in common. She knew exactly what he was doing when he tucked his hands away. Reed may have been bigger than her now, but she was certainly never intimidated. 

"You mean as much as _I_ sell, since clearly you've already been backing off since your stupid fucking boyfriend got caught with _your_ supply," she spat. "You know what? Maybe it is a good idea that you're backing out, because _you_ are gonna get us caught, not me." 

Reed frowned down at his dear twin, feeling her anger and her heartache. "I'm sorry... But fuck, you're the stupid one if you think we can keep this up forever. We've gotta stop. I'm sorry that I got wise first." 

"Yeah, _I'm_ stupid. Just...fuck off," she snarled, laughing bitterly. She rolled her eyes, stomping away from her brother before she gave in and took a swing at him. She could feel his anger as well, she just didn't give a shit. She shook her head furiously, unable to hold back as she gave Reed a little shove. " _We_ don't need to stop anything. You want out, whatever, go! But I'm not stopping shit." 

Reed's hands dropped down into fists when Ivy pushed him, trying desperately not to let his anger get the better of him. "Wow! So, you're fucking stupid _and_ a complete bitch!" he yelled, "I thought you'd be fucking happy for me! That I want something better! That I want something better for you, too! But nope, all you care about is yourself and keeping up your stupid ass drug dealing bullshit!" 

He was so angry, his head was starting to throb. Everything was getting fuzzy and he knew he had to leave. Fuck, Ivy didn't want him there anyway. "Fuck you. Have fun being a punk ass criminal! Maybe with all that fucking money you make, you can buy yourself another fucking brother." He stomped towards the door, calling back over his shoulder, "Make sure you get one dumber than me, maybe he'll be so stupid he won't care what the fuck happens to you!" 

Ivy was fuming, turning her back to her twin as angry tears started to sting her eyes. She gritted her teeth as he shouted, rolling her eyes bitterly. As he stormed out the door, she turned and yelled after him, "Maybe I fucking will! But it's gonna be pretty hard to find one dumber than you!" 

The door slammed behind him, the force shaking the plants Reed had been standing beside while feuding with his sister. They were dry, brittle, completely dead. Branches and leaves crumpled onto the floor, the plants withered down into almost nothing. It had happened over the course of their argument, Reed far too angry to notice what was happening. But the plants closest to Ivy, the ones Reed had just harvested, were larger and more vibrant than before. They already had buds growing again, begging to be cut. 

Ivy turned and let out a frustrated little shout, kicking furiously at the table. They were growing into two very different people and it was becoming more and more obvious. Ivy had always been pulled down a darker path, it had been so clear since they were kids. Sure, being taken in by two detectives deterred her for a little while, but as she got older, she had been drawn right back in. Reed was the polar opposite, always the good kid, determined to ultimately do the right thing. It was becoming harder to ignore as the years went by and she couldn't help but wonder if it would drive a wedge between them that they eventually couldn't get past. 

Ivy flopped down into the chair at the table, letting out a frustrated little sigh as she rubbed at her eyes, trying her best to calm down, hearing a little crunch as she rested her elbow against the table. Her head cocked to the side when she finally looked up, seeing the plants that had been nearest to Reed were almost completely dead, while the ones she had been standing near, that had been stripped of buds not even twenty minutes ago, were already ready to be harvested again. "What the fuck?" she mumbled to herself, staring at them for a few minutes, completely bewildered. 

She decided after relaxing for a little bit that she needed to leave for a while, needing to clear her head. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that Reed was probably right and that she should be happy for him, but the anger and pain were just too fresh for her to admit it. She grabbed her purse, picking down a few buds that had finished drying and stuffing them down in her purse. She headed out the door to go back over to Harley's, locking up behind her. She sighed as she saw some shelves Reed had knocked down on his way out, picking them back up before leaving. 

Reed was up on the street and his eyes blinded with tears. Why wouldn't Ivy listen to him. It was only a matter of time before they got in trouble and he didn't want either one of them to get caught. Even with two cops as dads, there wouldn't be much leniency considering the volume they were producing. Why did she have to be such a bitch! He groaned loudly, wiping his eyes and pulling his phone from his pocket. He hailed a cab, quickly texting Elijah: 

**can I please come over? U can just hide me in your closet idc I just can't be home rn**

**i finally told ivy im done selling and shes being a total bitch :(**

Elijah had been sprawled out on his bed, trying to focus on getting his homework done but he had been checking his phone every so often, figuring things wouldn't go well with Reed finally talking to Ivy. He was almost finished up with his paper when his phone finally did buzz, taking one look and pouting a little bit. He texted back without hesitation: 

**Of course you can. My dad's home, but I'll have my father keep him busy. Just be quiet while I'm sneaking you in. Go to the back door by the kitchen. <3**

With that, he hopped out of bed, already settled in for the night in his pajamas; a pair of sweatpants and Reed's hoodie that he was never getting back. He headed downstairs to find his parents in the den, curled up watching a movie on a rare evening off. He peeked around the corner, waiting to catch his father's attention, motioning for him to come over. After a little pleading, he convinced Oswald to keep Edward busy so he could sneak Reed in, making his way to the kitchen to wait for his boyfriend. 

Reed managed to force back most of his tears when the cab pulled up to the gates of the mayor's mansion. He made sure to text Harvey that he was staying the night out, confident that Ivy wouldn't be home either and his parents would be thankful for a kid-free evening. He paid the driver, grumbling as it was his last twenty spot. Fuck, that was definitely one thing he'd miss about selling; the money. Maybe he could get a real job, he thought to himself, sneaking carefully up to the kitchen entrance. 

If the patrolling guards noticed him, they didn't say anything. He felt pretty sure Olga was somehow responsible for not being bothered when he snuck over like this, smiling softly at the thought. That maid really was one sweet lady. She had been a huge supporter of their relationship from the start and Reed was quite fond of her. 

He peered through the window of the door as he approached, waving at Elijah. 

Elijah had been sitting on the counter by the door, mindlessly chatting with Olga as he watched for Reed, trying his best to stay out of her way as she began to make dinner. He smiled brightly when he saw a flash of bright red hair pop into sight, waving back as he hopped down to let his boyfriend in. 

The moment the door opened, Reed grabbed him in a big hug, nearly dropping his backpack. He buried his face into Elijah's chest, frustrated that fresh tears were already starting to flow. He squeezed him hard, sighing quietly, "Thank you." His face was blotchy from crying, completely miserable. 

Elijah couldn't help the way his smile faltered a bit at the sight of Reed so visibly upset. He hated seeing him so genuinely torn up. It was so rare; Reed was almost an annoying level of happy all the time. He hugged him back tightly, pressing a sweet little kiss against his hair as he rubbed a hand over his back. "You don't need to thank me," he assured him, pulling back and cupping his cheeks, his thumbs brushing away a few tears. "But we do need to get you up to my room." 

Reed nodded, sniffing softly. He managed a little smile when Eli wiped his tears away, the pain in his heart easing off. "Okay." He waved a little hello to Olga, grateful for her kind smile. He knew they had to be careful. Edward still didn't know about him and Eli dating and fuck, Reed didn't care if he ever did. He hadn't seen Elijah's dad since that day in the office when he flipped out. He was perfectly happy with that being the first and last time they ever crossed paths. 

Elijah took Reed's hand, peeking out of the doorway to make sure no one was around before quickly heading to the staircase, feeling a sigh of relief when he saw the doors to the den were closed. He made a grossed out face when he heard a few groans coming from the den as they passed, choking back a gag. Well, that was one way to keep him busy. 

Reed blinked as he heard weird noises coming from the den as they made their way towards the staircase. Were they... Oh, ew, gross. 

They hurried up the stairs and quickly made their way down to Elijah's bedroom, closing the door behind them quickly. 

Once the door was shut, Elijah let out a little sigh of relief, turning his attention back to Reed and pressing a sweet little kiss to his lips before leading him over to the bed to sit down. He helped him take off his backpack, setting it on the floor and wrapping his arms around him. He tugged his boyfriend close as he laid back to cuddle up to him. "You okay?" he asked softly, already knowing the answer, but he wouldn't pry if Reed didn't feel like talking about it. 

The question only made more tears come, sniffling, "No, not really." Reed closed his eyes, groaning lightly at himself for being so worked up. "She's such a bitch; she wouldn't fucking listen to me. She got so fucking angry when I told her I wanted out, that we needed to stop... She's just, she's like becoming this other person and it's not, it's not like a good one and I can't fucking stop her." 

Reed wiped his hand over his face, mumbling, "It... It fucking scares me." 

Elijah would never say it to Reed, but he wasn't exactly crazy about Ivy. There was just something about her that screamed ticking time bomb to him. He knew pretty quickly after meeting her that she was undoubtedly trouble, not that he had a lot of room to talk. Certainly the same had been said about him more times than he could count. But all things considered, Elijah was raised in that kind of life, both of his parents well known criminals in Gotham. It was second nature. Ivy had a chance to get out, to be something different. He definitely understood the appeal of the lifestyle, but he was seeing the appeal to getting out more and more thanks to Reed. 

Elijah sighed softly, dragging his nails gently back and forth along Reed's scalp, his chest aching knowing there wasn't much he could really do to fix it. "I mean, you both have the same temper. And you're pretty stubborn when you're mad, right?" he said softly, trying to be optimistic. "She's not gonna hear anything you say when she's that worked up, you know? Maybe give her a chance to cool down and tell her exactly what you just told me... though I'd leave out the bitch part." 

Elijah had never had siblings, even before he had gone into foster care. He didn't really understand entirely what it was like to fight with them or what it was really like to worry about them. But he knew Reed and Ivy were close, how they always had a weird way of knowing something was wrong with the other, even when they were apart. He pressed a kiss to the top of Reed's head, nuzzling against his hair gently. "She'll come around, it just might take some time, ya know? I think she's even more stubborn than you are." He gently nudged his cheek with his shoulder, cracking a smile, hoping to cheer him up a bit. 

Reed peered up at Eli, smiling back at his boyfriend. "Fuck, how do you do that?" he laughed softly. "You always know like, exactly what to say to make me feel better. You're right... And she just might be more stubborn, maybe. She's just pissed and I shouldn't have called her a bitch and... Yeah." He took a deep breath, curling his arms around Eli. "I know she's still mad, I don't know how but I just know. I'll just wait until she calms down some and talk to her. She's gotta see this isn't any fucking good." 

Elijah couldn't help but grin and shrug his shoulders a bit. "It's a gift," he chuckled, letting out a happy little hum as Reed kissed at his neck. "It'll work out once she calms down. Try not to worry," he added softly, pressing a quick little kiss to his boyfriend's jaw. 

"I'll try not to worry, but I'm really good at it, though. Thank you for listening to me bitch, and for making me feel better." Reed sat up, kissing Elijah's forehead. "I mean, don't get me wrong, the benefits have been really fucking nice. Lots of weed, everybody likes you when you're dealing. The money was good, but... I really don't want to go to fucking jail over it, you know?" 

Reed got up only long enough to grab his backpack, getting out his paraphernalia and preparing to roll a blunt. He missed the obvious irony that he wanted to smoke after being upset about getting out of the drug racket, nothing could ever calm him down like getting smoked out. 

"Stop thanking me. It's what boyfriends are supposed to do, right? I mean, I'm pretty sure I spend at least half of the day bitching about something every day," Elijah mused, watching as Reed started breaking up his weed and cracking open a blunt. He was a little hesitant for a moment about smoking in the house while his parents were home, but he shrugged it off, figuring the house was big enough they wouldn't notice. 

"You don't spend half the day bitching," Reed reassured him sweetly. "Only, like, maybe a third." He snickered as Elijah playfully swatted at him. "I'm kidding, kidding! And I will thank you all I want, you're fucking sweet as hell." 

"So are you. Believe me, dealing isn't the reason everyone likes you," Elijah said. "Have you met you? You're kind of impossible not to like." 

"Yeah, well. You just wait; since I'm not dealing?" Reed sighed, a slightly sour note to his voice. "A bunch of those 'friends' will go poof when they realize they can't get weed from me any more." 

"Well," Elijah said thoughtfully, "Then they weren't really friends to begin with, were they? If they were, they wouldn't care if you were selling drugs to them or not. 

"You're right. I have you, fuck 'em." Reed finished up rolling, running his lighter over it as he added quietly, "I love you... You're a huge part of why I wanted to stop. It's not worth getting into trouble and messing up what we're gonna have together someday. I can't spend the rest of my life with you if my dumbass is in jail for selling dope. Now, I just gotta work on not smoking it anymore." He rolled his eyes at himself, knowing that was way easier said than done. 

Elijah's cheeks turned bright red as Reed continued to ramble, unable to help the grin that spread across his face, leaning over his boyfriend's back, draping his arms over his shoulders. "You wanna spend the rest of your life with me, huh?" he teased affectionately, the thought alone leaving his stomach a mess of butterflies. 

Reed hadn't even fully realized what he had said, his face blushing quickly. He had only said what he felt, and it was so very true. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Elijah, every day, every second. He reached up, grabbing one of Eli's arms, bringing his hand up to his lips and kissing it. His heart was racing, but he didn't hesitate, replying, "Fuck yeah, I do." 

"Good," Elijah said, smirking. Hearing Reed reply so enthusiastically had him floating, holding onto his boyfriend tight to make sure he didn't drift away. He couldn't remember ever being this happy. Elijah knew it was how they both felt, but he'd never heard Reed say it out loud before. 

Reed wiggled the blunt at Eli, grinning. "Well, now that we have that settled, care to join me?" 

Elijah gave a little nod, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'd love to." 

Reed grinned, laughing away the tender moment as he said, "Let's light it up!" 

Downstairs, Edward was panting, absolutely delighted with how the evening was going. Oswald had stepped out while they were watching a movie to talk to Eli and when he came back, his dear husband had practically mauled him. Edward smiled lovingly at Oswald, kissing him sweetly as he said, "I love you... That was... Quite unexpected." He laughed softly, pulling his clothes back on. Dinner would be ready soon and he never enjoyed Olga walking in on them. He was amazed that even after all of these years how passionate they were together, still as in love as ever. 

Oswald was tugging his clothes back on, fighting to catch his breath. "I love you, too." He grinned softly, happily returning the sweet kiss. "What can I say? We had some alone time and you're still as dashingly handsome as the day we met." He smiled brightly, reaching out and smoothing Edward's hair neatly back into place. It wasn't long before Olga opened the doors, letting them know dinner was ready. Oswald gave a little nod, letting her know to go fetch Elijah, not wanting to risk Edward going upstairs. 

Edward was in such a good mood. He nuzzled against Oswald, sighing lovingly, "As are you, my darling." He smiled happily, following his husband towards the dining room. He watched Olga go to fetch their son, a slight frown creasing his handsome face. He and Elijah still hadn't discussed what had happened. There were civil greetings and basic pleasantries exchanged, but Edward knew something was still wrong. Maybe at dinner he could try to talk to him, try to mend this horrible tear between them. 

The boys were upstairs, having finished smoking and were snuggled up in Elijah's bed. When there was a knock at the door, Eli damn near jumped out of his skin. He heard Olga from the other end of the door letting him know to come down for dinner. He buried his face in Reed's shoulder, giggling a bit. "Shit. I'm way too high to go down there. I'll just grab some food and bring it back up here, I'll sneak you some, too," he mused, groaning a bit as he peeled himself away from Reed after stealing a kiss. "Stay put, and hide if someone knocks," he said as he left the room to head downstairs. 

Reed lifted up his head, completely baked, watching Elijah scramble to get ready to head down for dinner. He kissed him back, staring around dumbly and laughing. "Wait!" he said, probably a bit too loudly. He dropped his voice, whispering as he threw his hands up in confusion. "Where am I supposed to hide? And, oh! Do you have pop tarts? Bring pop tarts!" 

Elijah put a finger to his lips, shushing Reed with a little giggle. "I dunno. Under the bed? In the closet? Somewhere. And, um, I can check?" he laughed, shuffling back over to the bed and setting the remote in Reed's hand before stealing one more kiss. "Remember. Quiet," he murmured against his lips, making his way to the door and heading downstairs. 

Reed eagerly ate up all of his boyfriend's sweet kisses. He sighed when he left, staring at the remote in his hand. He fiddled with the tv for a few moments, not able to focus. He stopped his channel surfing adventures when he found a marathon of old Cops episodes. He figured he had some time before Elijah came back up, digging around in his backpack once again. He found his sketchbook and a pen, flipping through until he came to a blank page. 

He'd always loved to draw. He was actually quite good; better than good, he was fantastic. But this was something his parents had discouraged without meaning to. What future did a budding artist have in Gotham, after all? Plus, all of his teammates? They thought art was lame, just some doodling for people with weird stuff in their head. Reed kept his art to himself, a secret outlet he hadn't even shared with Elijah yet. Maybe Eli would like his drawings; he was too embarrassed to show him, especially considering so many of them were him. 

Reed started sketching, eyes first. Wide and hopeful, thick lashes; sharp cheekbones filling in next. Then those pouty lips, stretched back into a sweet smile. He kept going, getting comfy against all the pillows and stretching out on his side. He didn't realized how tired he was, or how stoned, continuing to draw until his eyes were threatening to close. 

Elijah made his way into the dining room, hoping he wasn't too noticeably high. He saw his parents sitting there, flashing a pleasant little smile, giving his father a grateful look when his dad wasn't looking. His eyes were a bit glassy, wandering over to his usual seat. 

Oswald took one look at Elijah and knew something was up, but he just ignored it, deciding to bring it up later when they weren't hiding a Gordon in the house. He took a rather large gulp of his wine, noticing the way Edward was watching their son. Fucking teenagers, so stressful. 

Elijah stood by his chair, sneaking an extra roll in his pocket for Reed when no one was looking. He cleared his throat after minute, running a hand through his hair. Fuck, he was way too stoned for this. "Hey, um. I'm really not feeling well. Could I maybe go eat upstairs in my room tonight?" he asked, his fingers tapping mindlessly against the chair. 

Edward smiled warmly at his son, shaking his head. He sensed that there was something off; but he immediately assumed it was because of himself, the mess still lingering between them. "No, not yet," he said, his voice a little stern. He looked desperately at Oswald for support. 

Oswald saw that pleading look from Ed, sighing softly and motioning for Elijah to sit. He knew it had been bothering Edward that they hadn't talked about it and things had been strained between he and their son. He figured Elijah just wanted to get back upstairs to be with Reed, but he could wait. This was important. 

Elijah couldn't help but whine a little when he was denied being able to retreat back to his room. He panicked a little bit when Ed said he wanted to talk, just way too high to focus. He leaned against his chair, figuring if he didn't sit that he wouldn't have to stay long. 

"Elijah, I've been... I've been meaning to talk to you." Edward fidgeted, looking at Oswald and then glancing back towards their son as he continued, "Things have not been quite the same between us since... Since how I behaved at your school. I want you to know how much I love you, how much you mean to me. From the moment your father and I brought you home, you made us complete. The last piece of the puzzle... And I am so, so very sorry for how I acted." 

Edward cleared his throat, grasping at his glass and taking a greedy sip of wine. "To put it plainly, all people have a good side, a bad side. The ultimate human enigma of id and ego, how we deal with our basic impulses; but mine, mine is unique. Mine... Has quite a mind of its own. But even he would never want to hurt you, not ever." 

Elijah tried his best to listen closely, knowing his dad was trying to have a serious talk. Fuck, his timing couldn't be worse. He bit his lip, feeling guilty that he couldn't totally focus. He waved a hand dismissively, offering a little smile. "Really, it's okay, Dad. I love you, lots. I know you didn't mean to," he answered, wracking his brain for a lengthier response, but he was having such a hard time. "Really, I wanna talk about it more. I do. But I'm just, I'm having a really hard time focusing right now. I just don't feel good at all. Can we please talk about it later? I promise, I'll make time." 

"I... I love you, too. Later. Okay?" Edward was hurt and immediately confused. Elijah said that things were all right, but were they? Ed certainly didn't have the best childhood to call on for how the handle a situation like this. He wanted so much to really explain how he felt, for Elijah to understand what was wrong; and he was being brushed off. It stung more than words could say, quickly shutting down. "Go, then," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. He reached for Oswald's hand, squeezing it gently. He tried to force a smile at his son, sighing, "Go, and I hope you feel better." 

Elijah could hear the sting in his dad's voice and immediately felt like an asshole. He hesitated a moment, biting his lip hard. He didn't really know how to fix it, positive that he just couldn't at the moment. He couldn't have a serious conversation. He sighed heavily, giving his dad a sad little smile. "Later, I promise," he nodded, grabbing his plate and hurrying up the stairs. 

Edward watched him leave, not touching his plate and nursing his glass of wine. He looked sadly towards Oswald, asking quietly, "What the hell is that? What can I do, when he won't even talk to me. How can I fix this?" 

Oswald couldn't help but frown, wishing for a moment he could just tell his husband that their son was just caught up in his boyfriend, being a normal teenager. But he couldn't, Reed was still a well guarded secret, no one quite sure how to break it to Ed that their boy was shacking up with a Gordon. He gave Edward's hand a gentle squeeze, offering a reassuring smile. "He'll talk to you, don't worry. Maybe there's just something else on his mind right now. He's a teenager, I'm sure he's just preoccupied with something." He nodded, pressing a kiss to his husband's knuckles. 

"But when?" Edward asked forlornly. His husband's kiss offered little comfort, picking at his food. "It's been weeks now, Ozzie. I don't know what to do." He rubbed at his forehead, looking over at his husband with a weak smile. "There was a time when Eli and I could talk for hours, doing puzzle books, riddles... He used to love my riddles. And now, he's like a stranger to me." He gave his husband's hand a squeeze, poking around his plate with his other hand. "I suppose all parents have to suffer this? I 'm not... ready to lose him quite yet." 

"He promised he would talk later. He will." Oswald frowned, his thumb brushing over Edward's knuckles as he listened to him vent. His leg began to fidget under the table, keeping his lips locked tight as the urge to just blab came over him. He had always been horrible at lying to Edward; thankfully, he was generally completely oblivious. "He's like a stranger to both of us right now. He'll come around, he's just at that age. I was awful to my mother when I was his age, too," he insisted, giving Ed's hand a squeeze. "I'm certain all parents go through this. It's normal, try not to fret." 

"I'll try," Edward sighed. More wine, less food. Perhaps after dinner he would try to go visit with their son, try to talk to him again. He didn't know how much more of this misery he could take. He wanted so much for things to be okay. His relationship with his own family had been horribly damaged as far back as he could remember and he couldn't stand the idea of Elijah feeling any ounce of the same way Edward had felt about his own parents. 

Elijah made his way back into his bedroom, smiling when he saw Reed snoozing on his bed. God, he was so cute. He was distracted for a moment, forgetting to lock the door behind him. He quietly made his way over to the bed, setting the plate down on the nightstand along with the rolls from his pocket, peering over to see an open sketchbook at his side. He couldn't help but let his curiosity get the better of him, gently tugging it out from beneath his arm. 

His eyes went wide at what he saw; a beautiful drawing of himself. It was like looking in a mirror, only it was certainly more stunning than he saw himself. He pulled his long legs up, crossing them as he flipped through the pages, his jaw going slack. "Holy shit," he mumbled, blown away that Reed had so much talent and he had no idea. 

There were many drawings; Reed's parents, particularly Harvey laughing. Reed loved how Pops' face lit up when he laughed. And his Dad, how sweet his Dad looked when he was watching Pops. It was such a subtle gaze, one Reed struggled to capture on paper. His sweet sister, of course; the same eyes as his own, same full lips, and charming smile... But it was Eli that was the star of his sketches, over and over again, even one back from the first day they met. 

That first sketch of him was rough, all the lines heavy and thick, all the blood and bruising from their fight immortalized in ink. He had that look, that lustful, angry expression just before they'd kissed the first time. Physical pleasure wasn't the only reason Reed had watched that video over and over again. He'd wanted to draw it, that perfect moment, to scratch it out in his little book so he could hold onto it forever. 

Reed stirred slightly, hand reaching for the book he'd been drawing in only to find blankets beside him. He looked up, seeing the sketchbook in Elijah's lap. Panic set in. Half asleep and still a tad stoned, he whined, quickly trying to pull the book away. "I'm sorry! I thought you'd be at dinner longer and I didn't mean to fall asleep, don't, don't look at that." He sat up, still trying to wrestle the sketches away, thoroughly embarrassed. "It's just a bunch of dumb doodles. It's fucking stupid." 

Elijah kept a firm hold of the book when Reed began to try to pull it away, swatting at his hands sharply. "Stop ittt," he insisted, probably a little louder than he should have been. He wanted to keep looking, refusing to let go. 

Reed gave up, fingers running over the back of his head and sighing. "Can I please have my book back? Pretty please?" 

Elijah finished peeking through the last couple of pages, his fingers gently tracing over that sketch of his face from the first day they had met, smiling softly. He glanced over at Reed, gently closing the book and setting it back into his boyfriend's hands. "A bunch of dumb doodles? Stupid? Reed, these are _amazing_!" he exclaimed, completely dumbfounded that he had no idea. 

Reed was relieved to take his book back, pouting slightly. Hearing Elijah's praise warmed his heart more than he could say, never having heard such compliments before. Sure, people had told Reed all of life that he was good looking or handsome; but no one had ever said that about his art work. Then again, he had never been brave enough to share it. 

Elijah leaned in close, cupping Reed's cheek as he pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. "Seriously, why the hell are you hiding that kind of talent?! Those are incredible," he murmured as he pulled back, his thumbs brushing over Reed's blushing cheeks. 

That beautiful kiss surprised Reed, feeling it down in his toes, mumbling against his boyfriend's lips, "They're, they're just... I don't know. I've, I've never really shown anyone before." He kissed Elijah again, setting the book aside, hands wandering around his slender waist. "I used to draw all the time when I was little... Dad and Pops told me I needed to focus on something that would get me a job, get me into school someday. Although, Pops did buy me some watercolors one year." 

Elijah smiled softly against Reed's lips, pushing a hand through that mop of red hair, his other hand dropping to rest against his boyfriend's chest. "They're just mind blowing," he murmured against his lips, leaning in closer. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, that Reed had been discouraged from such an incredible gift. "This could absolutely get you into school. There's plenty of art scholarships out there. You could get one in a heartbeat." 

"Really? Nah. I mean. I'm not that good. It's why I play football. I don't think I could get in on a bunch of drawings..." Reed looked up at Eli, smiling innocently. "I just draw what I see... That's why they're so many of you. Sometimes, when I'm alone? I close my eyes and all I can think about is you." It had already been such an emotional day, not able to resist sliding his hands under his boyfriend's shirt. It really didn't take much for Eli to turn Reed on, his breath shaking softly as they kissed. He was soon pulling Elijah on top of him, kissing him hard. 

Elijah happily got caught up in their kiss, his tongue venturing past his lips to meet Reed's. His long legs moved to straddle his boyfriend's waist, his breathing picking up as he felt his hands roaming. "You're right. You're not that good. You're fucking amazing. I just... wow. They're so gorgeous. All of them. I just can't believe that's what you see when you look at me," Elijah murmured softly, 

"Well, _duh_ ," Reed chuckled, playfully pecking Elijah's cheek. "Fucking look at you, you're beautiful... All I do is just take what my eyeballs get and put it on paper and there you are, all of you, just, you know, perfect." 

Elijah's cheeks flushed as Reed called him beautiful, never fully understanding quite what he saw. His hand gripped a fistful of Reed's hair, the other moving down his chest and over his stomach, sliding under his shirt and his fingertips running over the smooth muscle. His hips began to slowly grind down against the other's, easily caught up in him as he felt that wonderful spark spread through his body. He broke their kiss after a while, panting softly as he trailed his mouth over his neck, nipping and sucking his way down to his collarbone. "Fuck, I love you so much," he murmured against his skin. 

Reed whimpered softly, gasping at his touch. His back flexed when his boyfriend started nibbling there at his neck, hips pushing up into his. "Oh, God. I love you, too," he whined, his cock stiffening inside his jeans. He broke away to strip off his shirt, practically ripping Elijah's off. He pulled him back down for a heated kiss, his free hand fumbling at his jeans. 

All those little noises straight to Elijah's cock, loving the way he could feel all that muscle tightening under his fingertips as his back arched. Fuck, he was so insanely hot. As Reed pulled back to strip down, Elijah was quick to help get his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor before wiggling out of his sweatpants and underwear, kicking them to the floor. 

Reed bit his lip as he asked shyly, "Could we do it like this? With you on top of me again? I... I really liked that. If it's okay." 

Elijah smiled brightly down at him as his nervous little request, nodding his head. "Of course we can," he replied, grabbing the lube from his bedside table and working an eager handful over his boyfriend's cock. He couldn't wait, lifting his hips to guide his boyfriend's cock against his hole, eagerly sinking down onto his length, letting out a shaking groan. He leaned down, crashing their lips back together, starting a slow, teasing rhythm. 

Reed gasped as he felt his cock sliding in, his hips bucking up instinctively. He moaned against Eli's lips, kissing him desperately. Fuck, it felt so good, this was heaven. His hands slid over Eli's hips, squeezing softly as he grinded against him. Every stroke, every inch of himself rising in and out of his tight body was absolutely maddening. He couldn't quiet himself, shuddering breaths coming out each time he opened his mouth, whimpering into their kiss, "It's so good, baby. Fuck, just like that, you're so fucking hot." 

Elijah couldn't hide the way he groaned as Reed's hips bucked up, nipping and tugging at his lower lip. He was already shaking from how good it felt, the slow pace teasing the both of them in the best sort of way. He gripped at Reed's hair again, tugging as he felt his fingers squeezing at his hips. "You feel so good," he moaned. 

Reed encouraged Eli to go a little faster, rocking his hips gently, but almost regretted it when he did. He had to hold his breath, resisting a scream of pleasure, his whole body tensing underneath him. He gritted his teeth, hissing pleasurably. He let out a ragged breath, emotional from the toll of the day, sighing, "Right there, baby. That's fucking perfect." A blush was rising over his chest and neck, struggling to keep his lips close to Eli's. "I love you," he whimpered, fingers digging in hard, eager for more. 

Elijah didn't hesitate to pick up the pace as Reed guided his hips, having to force himself to stay quiet, letting out a breathless little sigh. He loved the way Reed couldn't shut up, his words only encouraging to ride his cock faster, harder, having to bury his face against his boyfriend's cheek to muffle a particularly loud moan as his cock hit just the right spot. "Fuck, I love you, too. So much," Eli gasped, lips trailing over his jaw, grinding eagerly in that same spot. 

Reed's back arched up off the bed, flexing his hips as high as he could and moaning loudly as Elijah rode him. He couldn't help it, panting, twisting his face and trying to muffle his cries into the pillows. Nothing else in the whole world mattered, just this beautiful boy and what he was doing to his body. His toes were drawing up, whining eagerly. He was getting close, sweating, barely able to control his hips as they began to jerk up into Elijah's with each sweet grind. "Close," he cried softly, turning his head back up so he could see his boyfriend's gorgeous face. 

Elijah was a mess of pants and moans as Reed's hips began to slam up into him to meet each thrust, having to bury his face in his boyfriend's shoulder. He grew closer and closer with each thrust, feeling that heat beginning to build, threatening to boil over at any moment. He sat back, his back arching as he rested his hands against Reed's chest, using his hold to slam his hips down harder. "Me, too," he moaned, nails raking against his skin. 

They were so caught up in each other, neither one heard the footsteps coming down the hallway. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get caught (again!), and Edward is beyond furious...

Dinner had concluded and Oswald and Edward were headed upstairs for bed. The way Elijah had left the meal still hadn't set right with Ed, it was bothering him so much. He knew Oswald didn't want him worrying, but he couldn't leave it alone. He had taken off his jacket and tie, kissing his husband sweetly and telling him he was going to go grab a glass of water from the kitchen. But instead of turning down the stairs, he kept walking down towards Elijah's room. 

He could tell his son was awake; or perhaps that was just the television he heard. He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself for this conversation. It wouldn't be easy, but he was tired of feeling so disconnected from his child. He hesitated; listening for a moment. What in the world was that noise? Was Eli watching... Pornography? 

Edward cleared his throat and knocked as he opened the door, grateful it was unlocked. "Eli? It's Dad... I know you're not feeling well, but I wanted to talk..." 

Elijah was right on that edge, seconds away from release when he heard that knock at the door. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "J-Just a minute!" he tried calling out, but it was too late. 

Edward froze, eyes wide at the sight before him as the door swung open. His sweet, precious child; on top of that fucking ginger, that Gordon bastard. Here, in this very house, under his roof. 

Reed's eyes widened at the knock, staring in pure terror when he saw the door swing open and locking eyes with Edward Nygma. "Oh, ffffuck!" He quickly started grabbing at blankets, trying to cover himself and Elijah up, but he knew it was too late. Edward had definitely seen all there was to see and he was still glaring; right at Reed. He felt sick, scared, grabbing for his boxers and trying to at least pull those on underneath the cover of the blankets. He didn't dare speak, all the good and sweet feelings he'd had just seconds ago completely gone. 

Elijah quickly scrambled off to the side, quickly reaching for his sweatpants under the covers and tugging them on. "H-Hey, Dad..." he said nervously, hopping up and standing between he and Reed. 

Edward's head tilted unnaturally low to the side, nearly touching his shoulder. _There he is, another Gordon fucking someone you love! Should have killed him when you first saw him, look at what he was doing to our son! Did you see? Did you hear them? Did you hear our son?_ "What... is he... doing here?" Edward snarled, his hands curling into right fists, darkness glazing over his face. 

Elijah felt his stomach drop at the change in his Dad's demeanor, that dark look in his eyes. It still made him feel a bit shaky from that day at school. But he couldn't let him get close to Reed, not again. "So, um... we're sorta, kinda, pretty seriously dating and have been for a while now. Surprise?" he stammered out, chewing the inside of his lip anxiously. 

"Surprise," Edward echoed, a strange smile playing over his lips. Surprise? That his one and only dear son had been lying to him and sneaking around with that Gordon brat for God knows how long? Yes, that was a surprise. Knowing his son was taking this boy to bed, right here under his nose inside the mansion? Quite a surprise, indeed! So many fucking surprises, Edward's head might just explode. 

Edward's eyes never left Reed. The boy didn't come from Jim's loins, but when Ed looked at him, all he could see was that smug detective. That same man who had been mocking him in the snow, who pretended to be his friend, only to betray him. His vision was getting blurry, that darkness consuming him as he took a few steps forward. _That family is going to hurt everyone you love; remember what Jimbo did to you, what he did to Oswald? Now, look at what his son is doing to your precious child!_

Elijah watched his Dad's face closely, seeing that darkness consuming him as he took a few steps forward. He put his hands up, trying to keep himself from shaking. He knew this was an entirely different side of his dad, not the man he had grown up with and it was terrifying. "Dad, p-please just listen. Please just hear me out..." he pleaded. 

Reed nervously perched on the edge of the bed, not too ashamed to cower behind Elijah. He glanced over at the window, briefly wondering how much it would hurt to try and jump out. 

Edward didn't give Reed another second to think over his escape. He lunged at him, pushing right back Elijah and grabbing the boy up by his neck. Reed gasped, fingers immediately clawing at his throat. He tried to fight back, but it may as well have been a rope snagged around his neck. Edward was so much stronger than Reed could have imagined, wheezing, his vision fading fast. 

Edward squeezed hard, hissing, "Never again!" 

Elijah had to catch himself on the dresser as Edward shoved him to the side. He barely had a moment to think, rushing over and trying as hard as he could to pull Ed's arms away. "Dad! Stop, please?!" he pleaded, shouting as he tugged harder. 

It was no use. Elijah was starting to feel his own rage building, losing control as he heard Reed gasping for air. He didn't think twice, violently starting to swing, hitting his dad hard across the face a few times. He saw his head snap back from the force of it, bringing his knee up hard into his side. "Leave him alone!" he shouted, his voice started to break as he began to plead. "Please? Dad, I love him! Let him go!" 

Edward growled at the punches, that knee knocking the breath out of him. He sneered, his teeth gritting when he heard Eli shouting about love. Whether he believed him or not, there wasn't any part of Edward that could raise a hand to intentionally hurt his child. He closed his eyes, trying to shrug off that rage and regain control. He released Reed, a gasping and coughing mess, backing away a few steps as the darkness began to recede. 

Edward's face was throbbing, staring mournfully at his son as he held his head. It had been years since that other side of him had surfaced so often. He was hearing the voices again, uneasy about how much control he had. He blamed Reed immediately. He hadn't started having these little fits again until he showed up. He was a Gordon, and both sides of Ed's mind agreed that couldn't be a good thing for his son. 

"Elijah," Edward said softly. "Oh, God. I'm so, so very sorry." 

Reed made a whining sound, still coughing and trying to get his breath. He had collapsed on the floor, scooting back and leaning against the bed. Sure, apologize to _Elijah_ , not the kid you were just choking to death, he thought miserably as he rubbed at his neck. 

Edward tried to reach out for his son, but hesitated, saying regretfully, "This is what I was trying to talk to you about at dinner. There is a darkness inside of me, a monster. And there is something about his family that brings it out. You have to understand, Elijah, they're dangerous; especially Jim." He bit his lip, his tone sad, as he added, "I don't want you to get hurt. I love you more than anything; and I'm so sorry." 

Elijah was absolutely fuming, quickly dropping to his knees at Reed's side, gently tilting his chin up to get a look at his neck, more and more furious by the second at the sight of bruising on his darling, sweet boyfriend's neck. He pressed a quick, sweet kiss to his cheek, standing back up and storming over to his dad. 

"What the fuck are you apologizing to me for?" Elijah snapped, pointing a finger right in Ed's face, his eyes narrowed viciously down at him. " _They're_ dangerous?! Sure, Jim doesn't like me and is kind of an asshole sometimes, but they've been nice to me and certainly have never laid a hand on me. Everyone thinks I'm dangerous because of you and father, but they're still giving me a chance! _You_. You're the only one who's been dangerous!" 

"You think he's just an 'asshole', that he doesn't like you because of me and your father?" Edward spat. "Listen to me. He will never trust you, he will never like you; you're our son and it doesn't matter what you do, he will never see past that. It's all an act! The moment you are in his way or he has grown tired of you being around, he will _hurt_ you. The darkness inside of me is _nothing_ compared to his. I am sorry for what I did, but you have to listen to me!" 

Elijah began to pace, trying to keep himself from taking another swing, so angry that his vision was starting to blur. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been so angry at either of his parents, certainly never lashing out at either like this before. Angry tears were stinging at his eyes, letting out a bitter little scoff as he shook his head. " _Stop_ apologizing to me! I don't wanna hear it. Apologize to Reed! That's fucking _twice_ now you've gone after him and you don't know a god damn thing about him other than who his parents are!" 

"You don't understand what Jim Gordon is capable of," Edward said, eyes pleading as he looked up at his son, praying he would listen to him. He hated seeing Elijah so upset, especially knowing the cause was him. It was breaking his heart, but he had to make Eli understand. There was definitely a chance that Reed wasn't like his father, but that was a risk Ed didn't want to take. Jim Gordon was a threat, always had been, always would be. Dating his son was making that man far too close for comfort in his life. 

Oswald had heard the commotion from their bedroom, hearing it escalate and Elijah screaming viciously. He quickly made his way down the hall, taking one look into the doorway and muttering, "Oh, God damn it." Of course he had been dumb enough to believe Ed was going to get a glass of water. He should have known better. He saw Reed on the floor, fighting to catch his breath, neck red and bruised, only in his boxers. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Ed had walked in on. "Am I the only person in this house that locks fucking doors?" he wondered out loud. 

Oswald hurried to step in between his husband and son, giving both of them a warning look. "Would you both calm down?!" he barked, looking to Elijah for a moment. "You! Stop screaming and go check on Reed and make sure he doesn't need to go to the hospital." His attention turned back to Edward, giving him a hard poke in the chest. "And you! Our room, _now_!" 

"But fath-" Elijah began to protest. 

"No buts! Now, Elijah." Oswald warned, making it very clear to the both of them that he wasn't having it any other way. 

Reed had never been happier to see Oswald Cobblepot in all of his life. He saw Edward and Elijah both shrink back, which in any other situation would have been funny. That tiny man completely commanded the room and neither his husband nor his son dared defy his orders. 

Edward turned sharply to exit, turning around to cast a mournful gaze towards Reed. He cleared his throat, saying softly, "I'm sorry." 

Reed couldn't have responded to Ed's apology even if he had wanted to. His throat was burning, still trying to get his breath. His head was throbbing from the lack of oxygen, shaking softly. He watched the tall man leave and sighed in relief when he was out sight. That was fucking scary as shit. He couldn't have stopped Edward; that realization made his stomach turn. 

Oswald paused a moment to look back at Reed, feeling genuinely bad for what a shaking mess he was. He'd had just about enough of this constant back and forth between Edward and Jim. He understood it, he really did. But Reed seemed like such a nice kid and he certainly genuinely cared for their boy. It was time to suck it up and play nice, for the kids' sake. He gave one last apologetic look towards Elijah and following after Edward down the hallway. 

Elijah slammed his door shut behind his father, locking it before quickly rushing to Reed's side. He dropped down beside him and wrapped him up in his arms, holding his sweet, terrified boyfriend against his chest. "I'm so, _so_ fucking sorry," he said, choking back a loud sob, angry, worried tears streaming down his face. 

Reed could only nod at first, clinging to Elijah tightly. He supposed he could find some relief in that Edward finally knew that they were together, the cat finally out of the bag once and for all. The thought didn't offer much comfort, considering ol' Edward had just tried to kill him over it. That look on his face, Reed had never seen anything like it before and thinking about it again made him shiver. 

"I'm sorry for what he did and the shitty fucking things he said. And just... fuck! I'm so sorry." Elijah knew he was repeating himself, but he couldn't help himself. He didn't know how to apologize enough, feeling like he couldn't no matter what he said. He pressed a few desperate kisses to the top of Reed's head, his fingers smoothing down his hair. "I love you. More than anything." 

Reed was finally able to get his breath, voice hoarse as he said, "It's okay, it's okay. I love you, so fucking much." He squeezed Elijah, keeping his head buried against his chest. "Holy _fuck_ , your dad is fucking scary." 

Elijah was doing his best to hold it together, still angry. He was worried that Reed was really hurt or that this whole thing would scare him away. When Reed was able to speak, he felt relieved that he wasn't screaming to leave. He grimaced at the comment about his Dad, having personally only seen things that bad a handful of times in his life that he could recall; but never so up close before Reed. "Yeah... I know it seems hard to believe since ya' know, he's gone after you both times that you've seen him? But he really isn't usually _that_ scary when he's angry." 

Reed swallowed hard, grateful to have Eli so close. He sounded a little sad, saying quietly, "He really, _really_ hates my Dad, doesn't he..." He looked up at Eli, frowning gently. "Is this all about what happened at Blackgate? I mean, why... why does he hate him so much?" 

Elijah sighed heavily, holding Reed close and rubbing a hand over his back. Elijah knew most of the reasons his dad hated Jim Gordon so much, a few details missing here and there, but he knew now wasn't the time to tell his boyfriend everything he knew. Maybe it never really would be. "I know there's some more to it. Some shit to do with Arkham and a bunch of other stuff, too. It doesn't matter. I was a million years ago and has nothing to do with us." He let out a frustrated sigh, nuzzling his nose into Reed's hair. 

"Well, I damn sure wish your Dad felt that way," Reed lightly grumbled. "'Cause it sure as hell seems like he blames me somehow. I don't get what my dad could have done that was so fucked up. Fuck it. Whatever." He lifted his head, kissing the underside of Elijah's chin. His heart was finally settling, feeling safe in Elijah's arms. He tried to smile, attempting to regain his normal chipper composure as he said, "Thank you, for quite possibly saving my life, you know, _again_." He smirked, giving him a big hug. "My hero!" 

"I wish he did, too." Elijah sighed sadly, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. He would deal with his dad later. He smiled softly as he felt Reed's lips under his chin, always amazed at how quickly his boyfriend could get himself back into a better mood. Elijah shook his head as he laughed softly, squeezing him back tightly. "You don't need to thank me. But you're welcome anyway," he mused, nuzzling against Reed's cheek. 

Reed brightened up a little bit more, saying, "Hey, what do you think the chances are of swiping some booze? Because holy fuck, I could use a fucking drink and to get the fuck smoked out again." His buzz from earlier had vanished completely and he was desperate for something to soothe the last few trembles in his hands. He pulled away gently, running his hands through his hair and gently touching the bruising at his throat. He shuddered, looking around until he found his backpack. Fuck, what a damn day. "I can go snag some from downstairs," Elijah replied with a smile, pulling himself up from the floor. He grabbed Reed's hoodie from the bed, tugging it on before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm gonna lock the door behind me, so just don't open it unless I say it's me, okay?" He didn't want to leave him there, but he didn't want to risk bringing him along either. 

"Okay," Reed agreed, trying to stay all smiles as he watched Eli leave and heard the door lock. The truth was he was still shaken up; he couldn't get that terrifying expression Edward had out of his mind, eager to get this blunt rolled. It was sloppier than usual, his fingers still not cooperating. He sighed miserably, not even waiting for it to fully bake and lighting it up quickly. He got up, finding a bit of a wobble in his legs as he moved to open up the window. 

He curled up on Elijah's bed, grabbing his sketchbook and pen again. He took deep puffs, holding each one as long as he could before exhaling. The shake in his hands was leaving, thankful as he started to work on the sketch he'd started earlier of Elijah. He began drawing in his hair, the slender lines of his neck, letting his brain focus on the page in front of him. His throat still felt sore and he was definitely still a little nervous about staying the night after all that had happened; but this was where Eli was and it was where he wanted to be. 

After having locked the door behind him, Elijah crept his way downstairs. He carefully snuck past his parents room as quietly as he could. He could hear raised voices and sighed. He just wanted to deal with them later, hoping that was an option. 

~~~ 

Edward had stalked off back towards their bedroom, raking his fingers through his hair. He could still hear the darkness whispering in his ears, trying desperately to ignore it. He couldn't believe Elijah had raised a hand to him; even though he certainly deserved it for letting that other side of him get control and attack Reed. He was just a kid, Edward thought sullenly. It was hard to argue with Elijah; Edward _was_ dangerous. 

Oswald had stormed off after Edward, slamming the bedroom door behind him. He made his way over to his husband, his own temper flared now, smacking him hard across the face. " _That_ was your brilliant plan to fix things?!" he shouted, trying to calm down. It was a little easier when he saw the bruising on his face. He let out a heavy sigh, grabbing his arm and dragging him over to the bed to sit him down and get a better look. "This has got to stop or he's just going to keep pulling further and further away, Eddie." 

"I did not plan for any of this!" Edward snapped, his cheek running hot from the slap. "I saw them, they were... Together, and, and..." He couldn't even bring himself to say it, continuing sadly, "And... Then I went away. _He_ came and I couldn't stop him. I was so angry... and hurt..." He sighed miserably, his voice nearly a whisper as he said, "I still can't control him, not entirely. I don't want to lose our son because of the monster inside me." 

Oswald gently gripped Edward's chin, tilting his head to look at him. He could see the anguish in his eyes, feeling guilty for a brief moment for losing his temper. "Listen. I've known about them dating for a little while now and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. But this was the reaction I was afraid of. Reed's a good kid, Ed. He really is and I've never seen Elijah so happy and out of his little shell before. I know you despise Jim, but give the kid a chance." 

Edward was stung when he realized Oswald had known about them dating, unable to hide the pain in his face. "You were that afraid of me? Of what I might do? So afraid that you lied to me..." He couldn't help but be bitter, sighing, "Perhaps if you had been willing to give me a warning, I could have had a chance to prepare myself! To have time to accept it! Maybe I wouldn't have lost my temper and possibly destroyed my relationship with our son!" 

"I... I was wrong. You're right, I should have told you. Elijah just wasn't ready to talk to you about it yet and I... I just felt like he should have been the one to tell you." Oswald wrapped his arms around Ed when he hung his head, pulling him in close with a soft sigh, reaching up and gently dragging his nails along his scalp. 

Edward leaned into his husband's touch, miserable and defeated. "I wish he would have... Elijah used to tell me everything; now, he's like a stranger. I don't want to lose him, Os." 

"You're not going to lose him. You apologized to Reed, that's a step." Oswald immediately felt guilty for snapping the way he did, the hurt written all over his husband's face. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he had been wrong keeping their relationship a secret from Edward, but there were still times he had such a hard time figuring out what exactly was the right course to take when it came to such delicate subjects. 

Edward couldn't stay angry, the heaviness in his heart was too great. He wrapped his arms around Oswald, hanging his head. "I want to try. For Elijah. Maybe the boy isn't like Jim; but Jim is enough all on his own to make me worry." He leaned his cheek against his husband's hair, voice soft as he said, "I'm sorry... but I promise; I will try." He frowned softly, asking quietly, "Do you think it's too late... to fix things?" 

"I think if you're willing to give Reed a chance," Oswald replied carefully. "Elijah will get past this and forgive you. I know you're worried about Jim, but it's not like if it gets to the point where he becomes a real threat to Elijah that we can't step in. It will be okay, I promise, Eddie." 

Edward was starting to relax, his husband's touch easing away his worries. He kissed his forehead, nodding. "Thank you. I really will try, I will." His eyes narrowed into angry slits, a brief flicker of darkness seeping into his gaze before blinking it away. "If Jim ever becomes a threat, we will take care of him." He left it vague as to which 'we' he was referring to; whether he meant himself and his other side or himself and Oswald was completely up to interpretation. He didn't elaborate, choosing instead to smile lightly. He sighed, holding his husband close. 

Oswald smiled softly at the little kiss, glad to see his darling Edward starting to relax. He chose not to press further when his husband didn't explain any further what he meant. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know exactly, but they would cross that bridge if they came to it. 

"Dare I ask how you found out about them?" Edward asked, curious. "I hope that it wasn't as traumatic as how I just did." 

Oswald gave a little groan when Ed asked about how he found out, burying his face in his neck. "Oh, it was. That kid needs to learn to lock his damn door," he replied, shaking his head at the thought. 

"Oh, dear," Edward said, frowning slightly. He didn't even want to ask, laughing in spite of himself. He took Oswald's hands, kissing them both as he said, "I suppose I've done enough damage for one night. Perhaps we can try to revisit this in the morning." 

Oswald gave a soft sigh, letting his fingers run along Edward’s chin as he pressed that sweet kiss to his hands. He nodded, leaning in and gently nuzzling his nose along his husband’s neck, pressing a couple kisses along the pale flesh. “I will make sure he discusses this with you in the morning. I think he will be much more receptive once he’s had some time to calm down,” he reassured him, giving his hands a loving little squeeze. 

"Will you... Will you please go check on them before we retire? I do hope... That I didn't injure the boy." Edward scrunched up his nose, rubbing at his swollen cheek, adding, "I would, but I don't think my face would be a very welcome sight right now." 

“Of course, darling. You get settled in for the evening, I’ll make sure they’re okay, and perhaps grab some ice for that gorgeous face.” He was hoping to lighten the mood just a bit, hating seeing his love so distraught. After a loving, lingering kiss, Oswald grabbed his cane, heading towards the bedroom door to go downstairs. 

Edward sighed, trying to give his husband a small smile to reassure him before he walked away. That kiss has certainly helped him feel a bit better, watching Oswald leave. His heart was still heavy and while he dreaded having to face his son, he yearned for his forgiveness. He decided to get ready for bed, changing into pajamas and headed into the bathroom. He went through his nightly routine, brushing his teeth, ignoring his reflection even as he heard it whispering. 

_Just a bit longer and the boy would have died. Can you imagine how that would have hurt Jim? How it would have crushed him, how it-_

"No!" Edward roared, glaring at the mirror even as the horrible face he saw there was smiling back at him. "We hurt Elijah; no! _You_ hurt him! You would have had us kill a kid! A fucking child! _You're a fucking monster_!" His rage exploded, reaching back and his fist shattering the mirror. He was panting, satisfied when the reflection he saw looking back was only himself. He stared dumbly at a large gash across the back of his hand, gushing blood. He cursed, hurrying to clean up the mess as he could and bandage up his injury. 

He sighed miserably, satisfied at least that his mind was full of only his own thoughts. He could sense that other self cowering down deep in his brain. He was grateful for the reprieve, hopeful it would last. He headed straight to bed, flopping onto the bed. He set his glasses aside, letting his eyes close, hoping Oswald would return soon. 

~~~~ 

When Oswald made it down to the kitchen, he wasn’t surprised at all to see Elijah poking through the liquor. He smirked, loudly clearing his throat. 

Elijah damn near jumped out of his skin, turning to see his father, panicking a bit when he was caught red handed raiding the liquor cabinet. He was relieved to see that it was Oswald and not Edward, but he still figured he would be in trouble. Sure, he was allowed to have wine with dinner most nights, but the one thing Eli generally did get in trouble for was sneaking around and taking things that didn’t belong to him. He let out a frustrated little sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck as he started trying to figure out a way to talk himself out of it. “I know I should have just asked, Father, but after-“ 

Oswald put a hand up, shaking his head as he spoke. “You certainly should have asked, but it’s okay. I will let it slide this time. Everyone has had a difficult evening.” He went into the freezer, pulling out an ice pack before walking over to his son, looking up at him with an apologetic look on his face. “I’m so sorry this happened. How is Reed doing?” 

Elijah was still so angry, certain he could actually feel his blood burning hot beneath his skin. “He’s completely terrified and can barely stop shaking. Be sure to thank Dad for that for me,” he muttered, a part of him feeling bad for taking it out on his father; he wasn’t the one who damn near killed his sweet, darling Reed. 

Oswald felt a pang of guilt, knowing there wasn’t much of anything he could possibly do to fix what had happened, but it wasn’t going to stop him from trying. He didn’t hesitate to reach out and wrap his arms around Elijah, pulling him in for a close, tight embrace, not letting go even when his son tried to pull away. 

“You have every right to be angry and I’m not trying to take that away from you. And understand that it is hard to see right now, Eli. But…” Oswald paused, squeezing him a bit tighter. “Your dad loves you so much, more than anything. I want you to take the evening to relax and in the morning when Reed goes home, we’re all going to sit down and talk, okay?” 

Elijah began to cave as his father hugged him close, letting out a shaky breath, a few angry tears slipping. He didn’t want to talk to his dad. He didn’t want to talk to him, didn’t want to look at him and really didn’t want to hear his excuses for going after Reed. But he knew that eventually they would have to talk about it and he decided that it was just like ripping off a band-aid; he just needed to get it over with. “Okay, okay, fine. We’ll talk,” he sighed, giving his father a squeeze before pulling back and looking at him, his eyes narrowing a bit. “But I’m not promising I’ll forgive him right away. And if he ever goes after Reed again, I’m done.” 

Oswald gave a little nod before tugging his boy down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He had faith that things would be okay. For as grumpy as Elijah could be and as long as he could hold a grudge with anyone else, Eli had never been able to stay mad at either of them too long. They didn’t need to say much else, Oswald sighing softly as he pulled back. “Go get some rest, okay? Goodnight,” he said, watching as Elijah walked away with a bottle of rum in hand, calling out after him, “Eli? Don’t forget how much we love you. More than anything.” 

Elijah smiled softly, giving a little nod. “Love you, too,” he said before heading back up to his room. 

Reed looked up from where he was stretched out on the bed, frowning. He'd thought he heard something, maybe a raised voice, but only silence followed. He kept drawing until there was movement at the door. His heart pounded fearfully for a moment, creeping towards the door. 

"It's me," came a very welcome voice from the other side. 

Reed was instantly relieved, letting him in, greeting him with a happy kiss and heading back to the bed. 

Elijah locked the door back behind himself. He looked over to Reed curling back up with his pillows, drawing away. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight, still in awe at his beautiful boyfriend’s talent. He made his way over to the bed, sitting down beside him, opening the rum and taking a gulp before offering it out to Reed. 

“Sorry that took so long, my father came down and wanted to talk a little and check up on how you were doing,” Elijah said softly, leaning in and pressing a kiss along his jaw. 

Reed put the pen down to happily accept the bottle, chugging nearly half of what was there. He shrugged, saying gently, "It's okay, baby. Well, I guess it was nice he asked about me. You didn't see your Dad, did you?" 

"No, thankfully," Eli spat. He gently touched the bruising around Reed's neck, his anger flashing back all over again. He sighed. The night had already been so long, he wanted to salvage what little bit he still could with Reed. He peeked over his boyfriend's shoulder to the sketchbook in his lap, smiling softly. “This is beautiful. I love you so much.” 

Reed licked his lips, taking another drink from the bottle before offering it back with a smile. "I love you, too. And hey, it's beautiful because you are." 

Elijah blushed, sipping quietly, content to watch Reed draw. Between the two of them, they finished off the bottle and it wasn't long before Elijah was curled up in Reed's arms again. He pulled the blankets over them, grateful to have him so close, slowly being lulled to sleep by the soft purr of Reed's snoring. 

Tomorrow, he knew, he would have to deal with his parents and what Edward had done. But for now, he could fall asleep in the arms of the boy he loved and nothing else mattered. 


End file.
